High King Yestraz
High King Yestraz was known as the hero king of legend during the first draconic wars. He lead a co-alition of men, elves, dwarves, drow, and giants in a war against the great dragon Lords who ruled the continent and enslaved the people for centuries. A powerful spellcaster, many wyrms fell to his magnificent array of spells and he drove them to near extinction reclaiming the continent. He ruled for one hundred years before supposedly dying and the dynasty being taken over his Son. "Yestraz" was the name of the King and all kings since, they would abandon their name and claim the mantle of "Yestraz" from their predecessor. He was well beloved by his people while he ruled. Early Life King Yestraz was born a healthy young boy in a small hidden village to the south of the great northern marshlands ruled by the black dragonflight. His father and mother were powerful spellcasters, his mother a half dragon sorceress and father a potent wizard planet-touched (some say he was aismar, others tiefling), shielding the town the small group lived in fear of the dragons discovering their existance, as all magic users were eradicated on sight, magic being seen as a gift of the dragons and only to be wielded by dragons. Yestraz was born infused with primal magical powers greater than anyone had seen before, some say blessed by Wee Jas and Boccob the child was voracious in his pursuit of knowledge. He befriended Lady Rodaire and Baron Maraver and the three of them became indredibly powerful gurdians of the town. When it was discovered, the Blackdragonflight enslaved everyone in the town. Yestraz, his parents, Rodaire, and Maraver joined forces and the five of them struck a decimating surprise attack against the black dragonflight, saving their town and freeing legions of slaves. Rallying the groups of people together he formed a small army which he lead in a series of victories across the continent, systematically freeing any and all slaves he came across. Known for equality and bestowing blessings based on merit he became immensely popular. In the final conflict against the Dragon God Tiamat's son, they were victorious and sealed his decaying body deep into the earth while building a castle on top of it. Rodaire and Maraver both ascended to divinity during the battle as gods were present on the battlefields fighting alongside mortals in the battle for the fate of the continent. Yestraz, beloved by all was crowed high king of the whole kingdom, where he brought about an age of peace and prosperity. 101 ADW (After Draconic Wars) At the age of one hundred and twenty three, he knew his life was ending soon and that the land was still in need of his services. There was so much left he wanted to do and thus he reversed time on himself reverting him back to what he was when he was a young man. As he never had children and knew that would create a dynstic dispute, he arrived masquerading as his own son with an illusion of his old self giving him the kingdom before "dying". He would continue to do this until 674 ADW 674 ADW At 674 ADW, Baron Maraver and Lady Rodaire begin to suspect him and Yestraz began to study the more darker texts. He began to succumb to doubt, believeing that war was on the horizon. He made several decisions which made him rather unpopular, and there were some armed rebellions. While quickly put down, it did not ease his mind. There were rumors that dragons had returned to the world, so he formed a "secret police" of dragon hunters known as Grey Guards. What they discovered disturbed him, as dragons weren't just returning, but their numbers were growing drastically. Quietly he ordered the deaths of all dragons they came across. Now paranoid, he began researching ways to alter fate so that the dragons would not return to threaten his great society he created. He began to read on undeath and decided to become a lich and that certain sacrifices would need to be made in order to protect his people. 778 ADW He began to see the people as chaotic, while his state in undeath he felt "opened his eyes" and that un-death was the more preferable state. He began to experiment o how to create an undead that was a freely thinking being capable of reproduction and complete thought. He began to slowly become corrupted by his experiments and by consulting with the dark forces sealed away in the tomes and books he used in his studies. (These books would eventually manifest a fog in his study which the party would slog through). Loosing grips with sanity his decent into madness continued unchecked. 901 ADW Completely insane by this point, he became convinced that the dragons could not be stopped, but if he could change their coming to the greater state of undeath he could control them. The people he once loved too were too chaotic. In undeath, there would be order and a greater society than there had ever been before. He began to abduct people for his experiments, making a deal with Orcus for a trade of suitable souls. One such being was Elisha, whose soul was split into two beings in an attempt to understand the regenerative properties of both living and undead souls. Most of these would end in failure and be cast out to Orcus, who would amuse himself with these rejects. 999 ADW The second Draconic War starts with the discovery of Xarina, who carried both the blood of Tiamat and Bahamut being chosen as the savior of the dragon race. 1002 ADW/0 DA (Dragonic Age) Yestraz is slain, with the help of a renegade soul fragment and the overdiety blessing a group of heroes from the second Draconic War. His soul was completely destroyed, not even a remnant remained to become a vestige.